Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 63A
Snake River Zone · 3 counties
Unit 63A tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Jefferson, Bonneville and Madison: 3 drawn hunts, 5 species on general tags and 8 land records touching Unit 63A.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Where Unit 63A lies
Unit 63A spans 207,126 acres of the IDFG Upper Snake Region, with Jefferson County holding 60% of the unit on the county overlay. Pieces of Jefferson County, Bonneville County and Madison County make up Unit 63A; seen from the county side, the unit covers 18% of Jefferson.
| In county | % of unit | % of county | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 60% | 18% | Yes |
| Bonneville County | 23% | 4% | Yes |
| Madison County | 17% | 12% | Yes |
Call the Upper Snake Region Office ((208) 525-7290) for road, fire or access news in Unit 63A.
Region, elk zone and boundary counties from the IDFG Hunt Planner unit page; acreage from the Hunt Planner hunt page; shares from the IDFG Game Units layer over Census county lines (GIS measures); office from the IDFG offices page; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 63A tag zones and disease rules
- Snake River Zone tags cover Unit 63A and 1 neighbouring unit; the A tag and the B tag carry different weapons and dates.
- For wolf data IDFG files Unit 63A under Southern Idaho; the season table below lists each land type separately.
- Testing, not zone rules: Unit 63A is a mandatory CWD sampling unit for deer.
Zone page: Snake River Zone · Wolf zones · CWD Management Zone
Elk zone from the Hunt Planner unit page and elk zone list; wolf zone from the IDFG Wolf Zones layer; CWD: CWD rules, Big Game 2026 p. 9; 2026 CWD changes; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 63A draw list
Apply for any of these 3 hunts to carry a controlled tag in Unit 63A; tag counts total 260, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. Hunt 1145 carries the most tags here, 200.
Moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat applications close April 30, spring bear runs January 15 to February 15. Moose, sheep and goat: 2026 hunts, 2025 & 2026 brochure dates.
A young mule deer buck stepping out of green brush
Deer, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1068 | 63A | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 5 to Nov 15, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 24 | Short range weapons only, Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required, see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd |
Deer, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1145 | 63AX | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 10 to Oct 20, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | Only here | p. 29 | Short range weapons only, White-tailed deer only |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3069 | 63A | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 10 | Short range weapons only, Limited access, Motorboat advised for game retrieval |
Hunt numbers, dates, bags and 2026 tags from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and the Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat 2025 and 2026 brochure (page links per row); units and notes from each Hunt Planner hunt page; draw periods from the brochure draw rules; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 63A general seasons
Besides drawn tags, Unit 63A has 12 general lines covering deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion and gray wolf. General deer here is limited to the weapons shown; there is no any-weapon line.
Deer (5)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 10 to Oct 20, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 21 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 19, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required |
Elk (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Aug 1 to Aug 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Unit 63A ONLY | |
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Sep 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Unit 63A ONLY |
Black bear (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 31, 2026 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 60A, 63, 63A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 60A, 63, 63A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – Oct 31 |
Mountain lion (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lion tag | Any weapon | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected | 17 units | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 1 – Nov 30; Apr 1 – June 30 |
Gray wolf (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting, private land | Hunting | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | Statewide | — | |
| Hunting, public land | Hunting | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — |
A tag lines here: 2. B tag lines: 0.
All Snake River Zone lines (2)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 63A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Aug 1 to Aug 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Sep 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
Season rows from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, wolf) and the Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 and 2027 brochure (turkey), with unit lists from the Hunt Planner; over-the-counter sales from the brochure; checked November 12, 2026.
How hunters did in Unit 63A
In 2025, 883 general season deer hunters took 197 deer in Unit 63A, all weapons combined (22% success).
Elk success ran 5% in 2025 (3 of 57 hunters).
Figures are IDFG Hunt Planner statistics, copied as printed.
2025 general deer and elk by take method
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 58 | 400 | 14% | 1,630 | 28 | 30 |
| Deer, Archery | 133 | 463 | 29% | 4,525 | 113 | 21 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 5 | 19 | 26% | 80 | 5 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 197 | 883 | 22% | 6,236 | 146 | 51 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 3 | 48 | 6% | 366 | 1 | 1 |
| Elk, Archery | 0 | 5 | 0% | 24 | — | — |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 0 | 4 | 0% | 18 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 3 | 57 | 5% | 408 | 1 | 1 |
Five-year record
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 290 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2022 | 258 | 7 | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 231 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 283 | 0 | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2025 | 197 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Controlled harvest by hunt (3)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1068 | Deer | 1,000 | 804 | 65 | 73 | 20 | 43 | 47% |
| 1145 | Deer | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 131 | 29% |
| 3069 | Moose | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass
IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics 2021-2025 (2025 pages linked): general deer, general elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, turkey, controlled deer, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Public land across Unit 63A
Public and walk-in ground in Unit 63A: 8 records, the ones that sit only in this unit listed first.
Henry's Fork near Cartier Wildlife Management Area west of Rexburg (Access Yes!)
Land records and their units from IDFG, USFS, BLM, USFWS and IDL sources (see each land page); closed places from the Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and 18 U.S.C. 1165 for tribal land; checked November 12, 2026.
Near Unit 63A
Rigby is the largest town within Unit 63A, with Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Iona close by.
- RigbyIn unit · Jefferson County
- RirieIn unit · Jefferson County
- RobertsIn unit · Jefferson County
- Idaho FallsWithin 10 mi · Bonneville County
- RexburgWithin 10 mi · Madison County
- IonaWithin 10 mi · Bonneville County
- ParkerWithin 10 mi · Fremont County
Historic storefronts on Main Street in Rexburg
These units take in part of the same county ground as Unit 63A:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 64 | Jefferson, Madison | Palisades | 94 | 4 |
| Unit 69 | Bonneville | Tex Creek | 427 | 12 |
| Unit 63 | Bonneville, Jefferson | Snake River | 53 | 13 |
| Unit 66 | Bonneville | Tex Creek | 124 | 10 |
| Unit 60A | Jefferson, Madison | Island Park | 489 | 21 |
| Unit 67 | Bonneville, Jefferson, Madison | Palisades | 91 | 8 |
| Unit 66A | Bonneville | Diamond Creek | 58 | 12 |
| Unit 62 | Madison | Island Park | 120 | 10 |
Towns and their units from places.json (Census places joined to the IDFG Game Units layer); 2025 deer from the Hunt Planner; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 63A hours on key season dates
Every time in the Unit 63A table carries its zone, because north Idaho runs on Pacific Time and the rest of the state on Mountain Time.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:16 a.m. MT | 8:53 p.m. MT | 5:46 a.m. MT to 9:23 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:48 a.m. MT | 8:10 p.m. MT | 6:18 a.m. MT to 8:40 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:06 a.m. MT | 7:41 p.m. MT | 6:36 a.m. MT to 8:11 p.m. MT |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:26 a.m. MT | 7:07 p.m. MT | 6:56 a.m. MT to 7:37 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:34 a.m. MT | 6:55 p.m. MT | 7:04 a.m. MT to 7:25 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:58 a.m. MT | 4:53 p.m. MT | 7:28 a.m. MT to 5:23 p.m. MT |
Hours rule from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (wolf and upland game animals: same rule, wolf, upland); time zone from 49 CFR 71.9; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); migratory bird hours: IDFG migratory bird table; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 63A questions
Is there spring bear hunting in Unit 63A?
Yes, April 15, 2027 to June 30, 2027.
Does IDFG publish harvest for Unit 63A?
Yes, by unit and by hunt on the Hunt Planner, 2021 to 2025 here.
What is the chronic wasting disease status of Unit 63A?
No; it is a mandatory deer testing unit outside the zone.
Do I need a different wolf tag for Unit 63A?
Wolf lines here use the gray wolf tag; trapping also needs the trapping license.
Where are rooms and meals closest to Unit 63A?
Rigby, Ririe and Roberts.
Is any national forest in Unit 63A?
Not in our records.
How many acres does the Hunt Planner give Unit 63A?
207,126 acres, most of them in Jefferson County.
Who do I call about access in Unit 63A?
The Idaho Falls office at (208) 525-7290.
How many controlled hunts include Unit 63A?
3: 2 deer and 1 moose.
Does the Snake River elk tag cover Unit 63A?
Yes. Unit 63A is one of 2 units in that zone.
How many general deer lines does Unit 63A have?
5.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0).